Congo cobalt exporters fear losing quotas due to administrative glitch, sources say

Published: Jul 3, 2026 22:44

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According to an industry letter seen by Reuters, exporters have been unable to submit export declarations through the customs platform since July 1 because ARECOMS, the Democratic Republic of Congo's strategic minerals regulator, has not formally notified customs to continue processing export quotas. As a result, major producers including CMOC Group, Glencore, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and Huayou Cobalt have been unable to complete export procedures. Meanwhile, ARECOMS requires companies to utilize their first-half export quotas by July 5, after which any unused volumes will be withdrawn and reallocated. Industry sources estimate that around 60%–75% of companies are unlikely to meet the deadline due to administrative delays. If the issue is not resolved promptly, up to 20,000 tonnes of cobalt exports, worth approximately US$1.1 billion at current prices, could be affected. CMOC alone could lose almost all of its second-quarter export quota. SMM will continue to monitor developments.

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